VIDEO: Remembering David Robinson Leaving Phil Jackson Hanging During 2000 NBA All-Star Game Introductions
By Scott Rogust
Just when you thought today's NBA stars had an extreme level of pettiness, Michael Jordan told us all to hold his Gatorade. ESPN's documentary series, "The Last Dance," showed that there were a lot of hard feelings among players in the 1990s. They hear all, and you best believe that they hold grudges. Take San Antonio Spurs great David Robinson, for example. The Spurs won the NBA Championship in 1999, but former Bulls head coach Phil Jackson said the title will hold an asterisk, since the season was shortened to 50 game due to a labor dispute. Robinson heard Jackson's remarks, and waited to get his revenge. That came during the pregame introductions for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game. As "The Admiral" was introduced, he completely snubbed Jackson, who was looking for a handshake.
remember when Phil Jackson said the Spurs 1999 ring had an asterisk so David Robinson left him hanging high & dry @ the all-star game the following year ? pic.twitter.com/JvmP5K4X4G
— /r/spurs (@redditspurs) May 17, 2020
That's cold-blooded, David. But he was seemingly defending his team that won their first-ever NBA title. Who can blame him?
Jackson has never exactly endeared himself to the people of San Antonio, especially after agreeing to become the Los Angeles Lakers head coach in 1999. It's one of the more heated rivalries in basketball history, considering how both were dominant in the 2000s. Even though the Spurs won three championships that decade, Jackson would poke the bear by saying they weren't a dynasty because of 1999 and the fact they never won back-to-back titles.
Phil Jackson says the Spurs aren't a dynasty because the team never won two consecutive championships http://t.co/NNU5J7GtaT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2014
Pettiness will forever be synonymous with the NBA, and we wouldn't have it any other way.